After reading Cocktails with Molotov, you'll wonder if there's anything Barry Farber hasn't done, if there's anywhere he hasn't been. From a young age, Farber had a knack for being in the right place at the right time. In Cocktails with Molotov, Barry Farber's collection of real life short stories, you'll read of his encounters with Alfred Hitchcock, the King of Albania, and Buzz Aldrin; of his knowledge of 26 foreign languages and how foreign language came through for him in the knick of time. He shares tales from his childhood in North Carolina and his time spent venturing abroad, from his life as a young reporter and as a seasoned journalist, along with astounding narratives of everything in between. A lifelong seeker of adventures and excitement, Barry Farber's lighthearted and humorous storytelling will keep you occupied for hours; you won't be able to put down the book until you're finished; each story is as compelling and informative as the one before it. Get prepared to meet a man who has lived a full life.
Cocktails with Molotov
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"Barry Farber was a standout when it was difficult to get a talk show. Unlike today, very few people hosted such shows in Barry's era. You had to be among the best to be hired to host long-form talk. Barry Farber was ... the best. He was defining. He's always been in rarified air." --RUSH LIMBAUGH
"He blazed the trail for all of us today in talk radio. I am honored to call him a friend and a great American." --SEAN HANNITY
"Barry Farber is the radio host all other hosts look up to and strive be. We are lucky to have such a fine man blaze the trail before us."-- RUSTY HUMPHRIES
"Barry Farber is truly one of my mentors. I got an early and lasting understanding of the way the world really works from listening to this great pioneer of talk radio. It's an honor for me now to publish his book."-- JOSEPH FARAH
"He blazed the trail for all of us today in talk radio. I am honored to call him a friend and a great American." --SEAN HANNITY
"Barry Farber is the radio host all other hosts look up to and strive be. We are lucky to have such a fine man blaze the trail before us."-- RUSTY HUMPHRIES
"Barry Farber is truly one of my mentors. I got an early and lasting understanding of the way the world really works from listening to this great pioneer of talk radio. It's an honor for me now to publish his book."-- JOSEPH FARAH
About the Author
BARRY FARBER is a writer, journalist, nationally syndicated talk show host, Army veteran, and advocate for Jewish charities. In 1991, Farber won the title of "Talk Show Host of The Year," and he was recently named among the top 10 radio talk hosts of all time by Talkers Magazine. Farber's books include "How to Learn Any Language", which is the leading book in that field world-wide.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Karin Spinna
Format:Hardcover
Barry Farber's treasure trove of stories from his incredible life on the air since 1960 as America's most beloved if not most main-streamed radio talk show host, and off the air as a young adventurer, will move you, make you laugh, lift your spirits, and teach you things about history that will stun you. This is a satchel of gems nobody but Barry Farber would ever be able to collect; He is a magnet for the sublime, the ironic, the spinning pins that stay aloft. It is precisely Farber's sparklingly warm sensibility, GREAT sense of humor, and incongruous Southern-Jewish-Scandophile take on everything that makes this book so riveting. I could not put it down and when I did, my husband picked it up and wouldn't give it back to me. Forget "conservative" and all the business of how Farber influenced a generation of conservative talk show hosts who revere him. This book shows the side of him that sets him apart from everybody on the right and the left. He doesn't have a spiteful or snobby bone in his body. Barry Farber is truly different, truly unique--a great, great raconteur and writer. For starters, the book is titled "Cocktails With Molotov" because Farber actually HAD cocktails WITH Molotov, in Moscow, at the height of the Cold War. The chapter titled"Colored Water" brought tears to my eyes. So did many other chapters. Farber has a vast and generous heart, which is what makes for a truly great writing. Buy this book, you will love it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Wish There Were 10 Stars to Give this Entertaining and Inspiring Book!
July 5, 2012
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
At the beginning of "Cocktails with Molotov," Barry Farber tells us how he couldn't find employment early in his career because he had a two-year gap in his resume when he didn't hold a regular job---a red flag for head hunters and companies that don't look kindly at breaches with the norm. It turns out that during that gap, Barry was part of the first wave of freelance writers going into the Soviet Union in 1956, and he covered and aided the effort to get Hungarian refugees fleeing the Soviet invasion to safety and freedom. This tale highlights the break-the-mold, do-the-unexpected, find-excitement-and-thrills approach to work and life that characterizes the author.
Just as Barry's life is unique and fascinating, so is his memoir of it. "Cocktails with Molotov" contains a series of vignettes that have the color and drama of "Casablanca"; the surprise and plot twists of James Bond; and the lightheartedness and sparkle of O. Henry. Yet these exploits didn't occur in the imagination of a fiction writer, but in the true adventures of a real-life explorer, an Indiana Jones not of imaginary ancient mysteries but of actual modern-day adventures that fill the treasure trove of one's life with memories.
Barry tells us about himself through tales highlighting key moments---big and small---that made an impact on him and will on his readers, as well. He relates how a college sports event found him cheering for the opposite side---showing us how honor and sportsmanship supersede team loyalty. He takes us to his childhood in the segregationist South and to a water fountain marked "colored," which he expected to spurt multi-colored water---showing us how a child's innocence bears no prejudice. He describes the best day he spent in the army, watching disciplined soldiers turn into cantankerous rebels when they thought a new rule threatened their religious practices---showing us how Americans feel about their rights, and how he feels about America and freedom. In his last vignette, called "Sara," he explains how, through an email sent to various people, he recognized the name of a woman he had known casually and was drawn to over thirty years ago, and how they then got reacquainted and married in what he calls "Cupid's long nap"---showing us how life can be forever romantic and we can stay forever young.
The list goes on, with each vignette like a mouth-watering recipe that Barry prepares for us, whetting our appetite with an intriguing title and a tasty first sentence; then before we know it, we're sitting at the table, surprised by the unusual brew, savoring the flavors, cleaning our plates, and feeling well fed and happy by the end.
Not only can you enjoy this book as scenes from Barry's life---which will entertain you for hours that seem like minutes---but you can also read it to soak in Barry's approach to life. The actual events in the book belong to Barry, but the approach to life is his gift to everyone. Sprinkled like a special seasoning throughout his stories is the message that life is exciting, so dare to make your own rules, take your own chances, create your own drama and intrigue, and enjoy your life to the hilt.
As a tonic against the cynicism or discouragement we can easily feel in today's world, sit down and be entertained by a master storyteller. Sit down to "Cocktails with Molotov" and feel the intoxication of a man high on life. You may see your own future differently. Salut!
Reviewed by Gen LaGreca, author of the novel "Noble Vision." Noble Vision: A Novel
Just as Barry's life is unique and fascinating, so is his memoir of it. "Cocktails with Molotov" contains a series of vignettes that have the color and drama of "Casablanca"; the surprise and plot twists of James Bond; and the lightheartedness and sparkle of O. Henry. Yet these exploits didn't occur in the imagination of a fiction writer, but in the true adventures of a real-life explorer, an Indiana Jones not of imaginary ancient mysteries but of actual modern-day adventures that fill the treasure trove of one's life with memories.
Barry tells us about himself through tales highlighting key moments---big and small---that made an impact on him and will on his readers, as well. He relates how a college sports event found him cheering for the opposite side---showing us how honor and sportsmanship supersede team loyalty. He takes us to his childhood in the segregationist South and to a water fountain marked "colored," which he expected to spurt multi-colored water---showing us how a child's innocence bears no prejudice. He describes the best day he spent in the army, watching disciplined soldiers turn into cantankerous rebels when they thought a new rule threatened their religious practices---showing us how Americans feel about their rights, and how he feels about America and freedom. In his last vignette, called "Sara," he explains how, through an email sent to various people, he recognized the name of a woman he had known casually and was drawn to over thirty years ago, and how they then got reacquainted and married in what he calls "Cupid's long nap"---showing us how life can be forever romantic and we can stay forever young.
The list goes on, with each vignette like a mouth-watering recipe that Barry prepares for us, whetting our appetite with an intriguing title and a tasty first sentence; then before we know it, we're sitting at the table, surprised by the unusual brew, savoring the flavors, cleaning our plates, and feeling well fed and happy by the end.
Not only can you enjoy this book as scenes from Barry's life---which will entertain you for hours that seem like minutes---but you can also read it to soak in Barry's approach to life. The actual events in the book belong to Barry, but the approach to life is his gift to everyone. Sprinkled like a special seasoning throughout his stories is the message that life is exciting, so dare to make your own rules, take your own chances, create your own drama and intrigue, and enjoy your life to the hilt.
As a tonic against the cynicism or discouragement we can easily feel in today's world, sit down and be entertained by a master storyteller. Sit down to "Cocktails with Molotov" and feel the intoxication of a man high on life. You may see your own future differently. Salut!
Reviewed by Gen LaGreca, author of the novel "Noble Vision." Noble Vision: A Novel
By Jason Smith
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I recall listening to Barry for the first time about 15 years ago and being amazed at how he could get him message across by telling his stories with the greatest of ease. I remember hearing him tell a good number of the stories that are in the book, and I can still remember the way that he told him and I can still hear his voice the way he told them. To my delight, there are a great number of stories in the book that I don't recall him telling, and it is a pleasure to experience them now.
Cocktails with Molotov is a book that I plan to share with my children someday. I think the only way the book could be better would be if there were an audio version that Barry read himself. Thanks for the memories!
Cocktails with Molotov is a book that I plan to share with my children someday. I think the only way the book could be better would be if there were an audio version that Barry read himself. Thanks for the memories!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Devil at Our Doorstep
[...]Barry Farber is a national treasure who understands American Exceptionalism and how important it is as a model to the rest of the world. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Devil at My Doorstep
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting stories
Mr. Farber does a wonderful job of showing us the scenes behind the scenes of radio broadcasting.If Mr. Farber has more stories I would like to see another book.
Published 8 months ago by robert
5.0 out of 5 stars
I've always wished I could have spent time running around with this...
... and this book just makes the disappointment stated in my review title all the more severe!
I've long been a fan of Barry Farber, so this might be less than objective. Read more
I've long been a fan of Barry Farber, so this might be less than objective. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Piperboy Wannabe
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read for radio & history fans1
I have been a life-long fan of radio and came across Barry Farber many years ago and was immediately hooked on his fascinating stories and life perspective. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Paula S. in CT
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thoroughly Entertaining Work by a Consummate Storyteller
Anyone who has met Barry Farber in person is bound to be fascinated by his foreign language skills and his stories of seemingly improbable events. Read more
Published 10 months ago by P. Scott Pope
5.0 out of 5 stars
the original radio talk show host
a man who makes a career of talk radio as the original mister talk radio in the United States of America
Published 11 months ago by George W. Newport
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great read
Barry's short stories are fun to read, and many provide you with history, and trivia. Most of these stories are personal tales of Barry's when he was growing up, and a college... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Rock10
